SCHULENBURG — The Stanzel Family Foundation (SFF), welcomed Summer Livingston to its board of directors this year as the foundation’s youngest- ever board member and its first student associate board member.
A senior at Schulenburg ISD, Livingston is active in FFA Leadership Development and Career Development competitions, serves as vice president of the National Honor Society, and is a dual-enrolled student through Blinn College.
As an associate board member, Livingston attends board meetings and participates in discussions and deliberations, bringing the perspective of a young person who is growing up, learning, and preparing for her future in the same communities the foundation serves. While associates do not hold voting privileges, the role gives Livingston a meaningful voice at the ta- ble and firsthand experience with nonprofit governance
and philanthropy.
For SFF, her appoint- ment reflects a broader commitment to engaging the next generation in community leadership. It also helps ensure that the foundation's understanding of the people it serves is informed not only by data and observation, but by voices representing different generations and lived experiences within our communities.
Livingston's interest in the role began close to home.
“Growing up, I would see my mom go to meetings and community events. I saw her make an active impact on the lives of so many people and knew that if the board was composed of people like her, I had to find a way to become more like these people,” Livingston said.
She sees her time on the board as an opportunity both to learn and to contribute.
“I look forward to being a more active citizen in our community and making an impact through citizen philanthropy. Being a member of the board also allows me to give the unique perspective of the next generation when deliberating on community issues.”
By inviting that perspective into the boardroom, SFF is investing not only in the communities it serves today, but in the people who will help lead and strengthen them in the years ahead.
